This is not an inducement to gamble, in fact it should serve as quite the opposite. It is my attempt at picking all of the games (before injury reports are official) each week. The picks are broken into 3 categories, 5 picks that I love, 5 that I like and the rest.

I would encourage anyone looking for a little extra interest in Sunday’s game to try the MobTown $15.70 prop card. It’s free it’s easy and cash and bragging rights are on the line.

This is not an inducement to gamble, in fact it should serve as quite the opposite. It is my attempt at picking all of the games (before injury reports are official) each week. The picks are broken into 3 categories, 5 picks that I love, 5 that I like and the rest.

I would encourage anyone looking for a little extra interest in Sunday’s game to try the MobTown $15.70 prop card. It’s free it’s easy and cash and bragging rights are on the line.

Disappointment settled into Baltimore Friday, as FA WR and Ravens target Malcom Floyd signed a two-year deal this afternoon to return to the San Diego Chargers, per a league source.

The move was confirmed by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“We have a lot of happy Chargers today with the return of Malcom,” General Manager A.J. Smith said in a team release. “He has been an integral part of our team and it’s great to have him back. He is a very talented receiver and that will just add to the continuity of our offensive unit.”

Floyd caught 37 passes for 717 yards and six touchdowns in 2010 despite missing five games. He enjoyed the best game of his career with eight catches for 213 yards against Oakland on Oct. 10.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound receiver, nicknamed “M-80,” signed with San Diego as a college free agent in 2004 and caught Rivers’ first touchdown pass as a rookie.

The move now forces the Ravens to either go into the first week of preseason with the receiving corps they currently in camp (Anquan Boldin, Torrey Smith, James Hardy, Tandon Doss) or reach out to one of the available wide receivers available in former Giants WR Steve Smith, or former Ravens Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason-who could sign with the New York Jets or Tennessee Titans.

-A Team Release from the San Diego Chargers contributed to this report.

As the father of a teenager, I find myself in the position of imparting sage advice quite often. I urge my daughter to prioritize, while remembering that unconditional love only comes from family. I stress commitment, and not necessarily to friends.

I struggle when it comes to her relationship with the opposite sex. In short, I freakin’ HATE BOYS. There is nothing more dangerous than a male teenager, and I’m convinced of it.

How do I know? I was one …..

In giving that parental guidance, I have seized several opportunities to remind my daughter that life will present her with impulsive opportunities to display emotional frustrations for the world to see. And, with the advent of social media, she has more such opportunities than ever.

My advice has been simple and twofold:

A) Just remember you can’t take it back. Writing or saying something, publicly, is a horse that never finds its way back into the barn.

B) Be careful not to bite a leg that’s connected to an ass you might need to kiss someday.

My daughter is 15 years old and she is going to make some big mistakes in the immediate future of her life. Some of her misgivings will be directly tied to ignoring her father’s words and some will be totally independent.

But, nearly all of her mistakes will be avoidable with some common sense and rational thinking. We can expect such breakdowns with teenagers, but it’s harder to rationalize such errors when grown men do it.

And, this is where today’s blog is headed …..

Over the last few days, we’re beginning to see NFL players taking verbal swipes at Roger Goodell. A legitimate, articulable dissent is understandable. But, salacious and demeaning assertions are simply a stupid means to venting frustrations.

Such ramblings will grab fairly anonymous individuals some immediate relevance and a blurb or two on Sportscenter. But, they’ll eventually regret saying such things, regardless of whether they ever admit it.

A couple days ago, San Diego Chargers linebacker, Kevin Burnett, seized his appearance during a radio interview to label Goodell as a “blatant liar” while also questioning the commissioner’s commitment to the NFL’s future. Of course, the rant propelled Burnett into that immediate relevance I just referenced.

Yesterday, Seattle Seahawks Guard, Chester Pitts, told reporters that he urged fellow players to take a letter received from Goodell and “set it on fire.” I suppose he’s running out of money to burn?

A year from now, this labor strife will be an afterthought, at most. We’ll be talking about the upcoming NFL Draft, NCAA Tournament and a new Major League Baseball season.

Outside of San Diego and Seattle, NOBODY will really utter the names of Kevin Burnett and Chester Pitts. But, you can rest assured Roger Goodell will remember them and their juvenile comments.

Former Maryland linebacker Shawne Meriman was present Tuesday night’s Terps basketball game, a 95-40 victory over Colgate, for his annual coat drive, but before that time he also spent a few minutes with Thyrl Nelson of “The Mobtown Sports Beat” to reflect on his alma mater’s recent coaching change with the firing of Ralph Friedgen and the hiring of former UConn coach Randy Edsall.

“You know, I’m excited because it’s a step in the right direction,” Merriman said. “I went to a couple of good bowl games when I was in school and there is a lot of talent in the Maryland-D.C area. It’s really important that we embrace a coach who can keep that talent here. So hopefully, we made a step in the right direction.”

Shawne Merriman spent three seasons in College Park as hybrid defensive-end/linebacker in Ralph Friedgen’s defense. The Upper Marlboro native out of Frederick Douglas High School made an immediate impact with the Terps his freshman year in 2003, when he thrived as a situational pass rusher, earning five sacks-third best on the team.

His biggest year and what put Merriman on the map was his performance on the field in 2004, when he became a full-time starter for Maryland, earning 85 tackles and 8.5 sacks. That, along with his exceptional physical skills and his reputation as a “gym rat” earned him the 12th pick in the 2005 Draft by the San Diego Chargers.

Ultimately, he said that the University of Maryland was a big part of his success in eventually getting to the NFL, and while some may disagree with the departure of his former coach in Friedgen, Merriman said the true spirit of Maryland football will live on in Coach Edsall.

“Just from the teams I played with, there are seven or eight guys who are starting defense or offense on some team right now,” Merriman said. “It’s a bunch of talent that comes out of the school. It’s about time we got recognized for it, so as long as we keep the Terps pride, all will be good.”

Merriman’s success at the college level immediately picked right off at the NFL level for the Chargers, as Merriman earned the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2005 with ten sacks to his credit.

His next year became his ultimate performance of his playing ability, as he sacked the opposing quarterback 17 times while missing four games. He missed out on the Defensive Player of the Year Award to the Dolphins’ Jason Taylor and was behind Broncos CB Champ Bailey, but he did earned his first-ever Pro Bowl selection on top of being named an All-Pro for the only time in his career.

But it was in that same year in 2006 that Merriman tested positive for steroids, which ultimately led to a rule or principle known solely as “The Merriman Rule” where a player found to have used steroids during a season is not eligible for postseason awards or Pro Bowl status.

Those four games he missed that year? A suspension handed down by the NFL Office.

In 2007, he fought through numerous double-teams to register his third straight 10+ sack season, but that is where the Merriman-once known as “Lights Out“-began to flicker off.

He began to suffer greatly from injuries to his shoulder, knees, and feet and he missed significant time due to the injuries.

Over the last three seasons from 2008-2010, he has appeared in only 17 total games while registering only four total sacks.

And off the field trouble began to crop up yet again for Merriman, as a domestic abuse charge against his reality star friend, Tila Tequila, caught Merriman in another negative light.

It was all those things adding up: the steroid allegations, the lack of production on the field, not being ON the field, and the unwanted media attention that convinced the Chargers to wash their hands of him earlier this season, placing him on waivers.

At the time, talks of Merriman to the Ravens came swirling up. The Ravens at the time were in the need of help in the pass rushing department and many Ravens fans wanted to bring Merriman to home.

Too bad Buffalo swooped in, signing him to a two-year deal.

And while he didn’t suit up in a single game for the Bills, he does love the new start he is getting the AFC East with the Bills, and hopes that he can re-start the “Lights Out” routine with Buffalo by changing the lightbulb, so to speak.

“I’m happy with the team that claimed me, and I’m happy to be with the Buffalo Bills and go out there and do what I need to do and get us back to being a hell of a team like I know we can.”

Continue to follow WNST for the best sports coverage in town! WNST-We Never Stop Talking Baltimore Sports!

Comments Off on Shawne “Lights Out” Merriman-in town for coat drive-hopes his career and Maryland can be turned back on

The 2010 NFL season has reached the three-quarter mark, and like any good game on Sundays, it’s usually the fourth quarter that decides success or failure.

It’s a chance to take stock of each conference after 13 weeks and 12 games with one-liners on each of the teams. Below are some stats, observations and conjecture as we look ahead to the final four weeks.

First, here is a look at the AFC by divisions. Records are through Week 13:

AFC East

New England Patriots (10-2): Patriots have won last four, including huge win over the Jets to solidfy their claim as AFC’s best team behind conference-best (+110) scoring differential; road to AFC title will go through Gillette Stadium and coach Bill Belichick.

New York Jets (9-3): Despite 3-1 stretch, Jets went from potentially being in line to host AFC title game to very vulnerable after shredding of New York’s vaunted D by the Patriots.

Miami Dolphins (6-6): Dolphins continue to confound with 5-1 road mark, but 1-5 home record — that will be main reason they will not make playoffs as well as offensive woes (-23 point differential).

Buffalo Bills (2-10): Bills finally saw results after 0-8 start with two straight victories, but close loss to Steelers and blowout defeat to Vikings has slowed Buffalo’s progress.

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3): Steelers have grabbed choke-hold of AFC North after winning the war in Baltimore last week behind QB Ben Roethlisberger and stout defense; now Pittsburgh could host AFC Divisional Playoff at always-tough Heinz Field.

Baltimore Ravens (8-4): Only home loss of season so far to Steelers was costly as Ravens may have three straight playoff games on the road instead of one or two home games; predicted high-production offense has gone cold at bad times.

Cleveland Browns (5-7): Cleveland continues to be a “tough out” thanks to solid running game behind RB Peyton Hillis; if they get QB (and maybe head coach) situation settled in offseason, could be 2011 team to watch in AFC.

Cincinnati Bengals (2-10): The wheels have completely come off the cart for one of the preseason favorites to win the division — nine-game losing streak may spell the end of the Marvin Lewis era in Cincinnati.

AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars (7-5): Jaguars, after 3-1 stretch, find themselves on top in the division, despite worst point differential among all division leaders (-43) — only question is can they hold off slumping Colts?

Indianapolis Colts (6-6): Colts’ injuries have finally taken a toll; forget Peyton Manning for a moment, being in position of having to pass so much has allowed opponents to tee off in crucial situations — but Indy can still catch Jaguars for division title.

Houston Texans (5-7): Lack of strong starts have doomed Texans, 1-5 in their last six games — last chance for Houston (and maybe coach Gary Kubiak’s job) comes with Monday night visit by Ravens in Week 14.

Kansas City Chiefs (8-4): Chiefs seem to have control of the division after a three-game win streak and perfect 6-0 home mark; can they hold off the Raiders and Chargers over the final four weeks?

Oakland Raiders (6-6): Progress has been slowed by 3-2 mark in last five games, but 4-0 division record could be factor if they get help before Week 17 showdown at traditional rival Chiefs.

San Diego Chargers (6-6): Amazing how one loss changes things after blowout defeat by Raiders last week that stopped four-game win streak; season on the line vs. Chiefs this week.

Denver Broncos (3-9): A three-game losing streak coupled with Spygate-like scandal in London finally cost Josh McDaniels his coaching job; Eric Studesville gets his audition but the supporting cast is not there.

And now for the NFC by divisions:

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles (8-4): The Eagles are tied for the division lead, but arguably have the NFC East’s toughest schedule left with two games vs. Dallas and one each against the Giants and Vikings — for what was originally expected to be a transition year, a lot is still on the table.

New York Giants (8-4): Giants are playing as well as any team in NFC right now, but head coach Tom Coughlin’s team must navigate Minnesota, Philadelphia and Green Bay the next three weeks to stay in the division and Wild Card mix.

Washington Redskins (5-7): The Redskins season has become a trainwreck as head coach Mike Shanahan has had to deal with several distractions, including DT Albert Haynesworth’s suspension for conduct detrimental; the Skins defense should be suspended as well, allowing the fifth-most points in the NFC.

Dallas Cowboys (4-8): The Cowboys have gotten off the deck to become a team no one wants to face down the stretch; Dallas could play spoiler in the NFC East and help Jason Garrett remove the interim coaching tag.

NFC North

Chicago Bears (9-3): The Bears have won five straight to hold the division lead by one game thanks to resurgent play by QB Jay Cutler and LB Brian Urlacher; Chicago has murderous final four weeks capped by Week 17 visit to Packers.

Green Bay Packers (8-4): Despite injuries, Packers are firmly in the playoff mix, but key Week 12 loss at Atlanta looms large as well as final three games against New England, Giants and Chicago — win those and Green Bay will have earned its postseason ticket.

Minnesota Vikings (5-7): A change in head coach to well-respected assistant Leslie Frazier has helped the mood in Minnesota, but the final four weeks will be all about Brett Favre’s literal limp to the finish of his career (I think).

Detroit Lions (2-10): Some of the strides made early in the season by the Lions have been erased by the current five-game losing streak; coach Jim Schwartz is still looking for consistent winning formula.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons (10-2): The hottest team in the NFC with six straight wins, the Falcons may do something no Atlanta NFL team ever has — host the NFC Championship Game in January; but they have to get through Week 16 Monday Night game vs. Saints.

New Orleans Saints (9-3): The defending Super Bowl champions are playing like it for first time all season with a current five-game win streak as the Saints try to go stride-for-stride with the Falcons; back-to-back road contests at Baltimore and Atlanta in Weeks 15-16 are New Orleans’ key games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5): The air has finally come out of the Buccaneers’ balloon with two straight losses, but Tampa Bay is just one game out of a Wild Card spot with favorable matchups in the next three weeks before Week 17 at Saints.

Carolina Panthers (1-11): The Panthers just want the season to be over, and the housecleaning will begin soon after starting with head coach John Fox; Panthers are a NFC-worst minus-153 in point differential.

NFC West

St. Louis Rams (6-6): The Rams have quietly put themselves in position to make the playoffs out of a weak NFC West, but don’t mistake St. Louis as a weak team — QB Sam Bradford is one of the league’s feel-good stories of 2010, and division could come down to Week 17 tilt at Seattle.

Seattle Seahawks (6-6): The Seahawks are in position to capture the NFC West, but head coach Pete Carroll’s squad still has worst point differential among NFC teams with a winning record (-49); Week 17 vs. St. Louis could be the decider.

San Francisco 49ers (4-8): San Francisco not officially dead in NFC West race, but last gasp could come this Sunday vs. Seattle; if they win, they still have games vs. St. Louis and Arizona — teams they have already beaten in 2010.

Arizona Cardinals (3-9): Cardinals have gone south for the winter as they have lost seven straight and hold NFC’s second-worst point difference (-138), but have three winnable games in final four weeks.

For up-to-date Tweets on the NFL and the Ravens, please follow me on Twitter (@BlogAndTackle). For more national NFL stories, please visit my personal site at BlogAndTackle.net.

If you’re a casual listener of my show, you probably know about my opinion regarding the intersection of LOSSES and EXCUSES.

I’m blunt about it whenever the discussion comes up.

It’s a belief that was drilled into my head when I was very young.It’s a belief that I’ve taught my one and only child.And, it’s a belief I’ll take to my grave …..

EXCUSES ARE FOR LOSERS

Offering a dismissive, half-hearted reason for losing is nothing less than acknowledging that failure is acceptable.It also guarantees you’ll get more of it – unless you change something.

To be very honest, it insults an intelligent mind when winnable contests in New England and Atlanta are summed up with the customary “the Ravens lost to a very good team on the road” defense.

Call that line exactly what it is ….. an EXCUSE.

I didn’t buy it after the loss against New England and I’m certainly not buying it after last Thursday’s loss, in Atlanta.

Do you wanna guess how many 4th quarter comebacks Tom Brady has engineered this season?The answer is ONE.And, we know all about that game, huh?

I get the aura of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.I know their careers very well, and I pay attention to that team.But, I also know many football fans assume Brady pulls out last minute heroics every week, and that’s just not true.

In fact, Tom Brady has thrown only ONE game-impacting, 4th quarter touchdown, this season.Once again, we know all about that game, right?

As for last Thursday’s loss in Atlanta, the Ravens defense orchestrated Matt Ryan’s elevation from budding star to full blown ROCK STAR, in just 80 seconds.

I’m pretty sure Ryan is being bestowed with the Congressional Medal of Honor on the front steps of the United States Capital, later this week.

But, here’s another meaningless stat for the excuse makers and believers …..

Do you know how many two-minute drives have been capped off with a winning touchdown in Matt Ryan’s season?You are correct …. ONE FREAKIN’ GAME.

Of course, I think Tom Brady is approaching a legendary career.And, I think Matt Ryan is one of the bright, young stars in the NFL.But, I also think many fans and observers believe these quarterbacks are leading their teams to dramatic, come from behind wins, on a consistent basis – and, that’s simply not true.

But, they’ve made hay against the Ravens defense, recently.

Comments Off on Losing to good teams on the road ensures your postseason plight …..

A certainty for each and every NFL city is the guarantee of eight opportunities to host profitable, meaningful games. In Baltimore, yesterday served as one of those opportunities, as the Miami Dolphins paid a visit to M&T Bank Stadium for an early afternoon showdown with the Ravens.

For me, the day started out as normally, as possible. I knew we would be spending several hours at the game and enjoying the tailgating festivities, beforehand. Thus, a regimented schedule for doing things exists …..

I rolled out of bed around 8am and went to lay on the sofa for an hour or so. But, in typical Snider family style, I ensured that my wife was up by 10am …. and we were walking out of the house a half hour later.

Right on time !!!!

As we rolled down Hanover Street, I received a text message and glanced at my phone. And, that’s when I noticed the time of day – 945am !!!!

Yeah, that’s right, I totally forgot about setting the clock back an hour on Saturday night. I broke the news to Mrs. Snider and she flipped out into her best impression of our world’s next generation …..

God love her. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear I was riding to the game with a hybrid version of “Terrell Owens meets Nancy Kerrigan.”

The good news is she didn’t dig my eyes out and slit my throat with her nail file. So, we parked and headed to the tailgate lot …. at 955am !!!!

To be honest, this is where things got bad for me. And, it’s totally of my making …..

I’m admittedly naive when it comes to the appeal of sports, as an entertainment vice in the landscape of American culture.

While I like to count myself among the more informed souls when it comes to how people really value their hard earned money, as it relates to sports entertainment, I acknowledge my shortcomings in understanding some distinct geographical differences.

In some ways, I simply assume the National Football League is a popular product throughout this country. But, yesterday, I really learned a valuable lesson about pro football’s lack of appeal in certain cities.

Yeah, I’ve seen the endless updates on television blackouts, on a daily basis. Yet, such examples are usually tied to markets where NFL franchises have been uncompetitive for a substantial string of seasons.

Tampa? I get it.

Oakland? I get it.

Detroit? I get it.

The teams in these cities have struggled for years. And, they’ve offered little, if any, hope for the hometown faithful. Thus, I understand why a greater group of fans choose to keep their money, rather than spend it on seeing their favorite team getting shellacked on a consistent basis.

Heck, I’ve even understood blackouts in San Diego. The weather in that city is usually impeccable, and the Chargers are probably the biggest “tease” in the NFL. So, the choice is between Sundays at the beach or Qualcomm Stadium. The people have spoken, I suppose.

As for a total trainwreck, like Jacksonville, the blame should be shared by Paul Tagliabue and his corps of supporters …..

Do you see the above photo of the Jaguars hosting the Dolphins? Any chance we see that many empty seats when the Dolphins come to Baltimore, this week? No way ….

The Jaguars are not an awful team; they’re simply situated in a bad area for pro football. A large portion of the population is transient, thanks to the U.S. Navy.

And, college football is a huge attraction in the Jacksonville area – a few notable programs are in close proximity. It’s a storied tradition in this part of the country.

I think it’s very fair to suggest the NFL erred in awarding Jacksonville an NFL franchise, in 1993. The Jaguars have been set up to fail, since their inception. But, that’s Tagliabue’s sin to bear.

Yesterday, I learned that Jacksonville shares some distinct company to the northwest …..

Comments Off on A blunt reality? Ravens are very fortunate to be in Baltimore …..

Over the past couple days, most nationally promoted NFL storylines are tied to the Minnesota Vikings’ abrupt release of perennial clunes, Randy Moss, and the immense bag of personal garbage he seems to drag behind him, wherever he goes.

I wrote about my opinions on Moss, yesterday. Thus, there is no need to dwell on him or his sordid reputation.

“He is what he is” …. which is a commonly used reference in avoiding any further critical assessments of a guy.

However, I will sum up my Moss musings with the details of an incident involving the conflicted receiver and a caterer, who fed the Vikings after a recent practice. A brief synopsis really regards Moss losing his temper and shouting obscenities among mixed company, when he didn’t like the selection of food provided by the caterer ….

“What the (expletive) is this? I wouldn’t feed this (expletive expletive) to my (expletive) dog”, Moss loudly complained, as he looked at the spread.

The incident left the food staff feeling embarrassed, and it caused several Vikings teammates to become upset with him. One player told him to SHUT UP. But, Moss continued, by saying “you know, I used to have to eat that crap — but now I’ve got money.”

A big deal in the grand scheme of an NFL team’s universe? Of course, not.

It was likely just a frustrating incident piled upon another incident, piled upon another incident in the brief month of this hasty marriage.

Such situations only serve to validate the suspicions that Randy Moss is not a GENTLEMAN or a person who can be counted on to exhibit a decorum demanded of professional representatives of any organization.

By the way, the caterer, Tinucci’s Restaurant, is a favorite of current Baltimore Ravens center, Matt Birk. When asked for his opinion on Moss, yesterday, Birk said “Some people don’t have any taste. Some people don’t have any manners. And some people don’t have either.”